Colorado · Year-round resident

Band-tailed Pigeons in Colorado

When band-tailed pigeons are present in Colorado, when they nest, which native Colorado plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–7b yard.

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)Band-tailed PigeonPatagioenas fasciata

Status in Colorado: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–August
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–7b

When to expect band-tailed pigeons in Colorado

Band-tailed Pigeons live in Colorado all year. Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Semi-arid high plains in the east and the Rocky Mountains through the center, with most backyards between 5,000 and 7,000 ft.

Nesting in Colorado

Across Colorado, band-tailed pigeons typically nest from April–August. Plan around that window: March for setup, August for clean-out.

Warm, dry days and cool nights; afternoon storms are common in July and August.

Band-tailed Pigeons don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, virginia creeper, pin cherry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Native Colorado plants that attract band-tailed pigeons

Of the regional native plants we track for Colorado, these 8 provide food or cover band-tailed pigeons use:

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Virginia creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia · Vine

Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.

Pin cherry

Prunus pensylvanica · Tree

Fast-growing northern cherry with midsummer fruit.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Rocky Mountain juniper

Juniperus scopulorum · Tree

Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.

Gambel oak

Quercus gambelii · Tree

Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.

Golden currant

Ribes aureum · Shrub

Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.

Feeding band-tailed pigeons through the Colorado year

Top foods: Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower (on platforms).
In Colorado's winter: Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly.

Full diet breakdown for band-tailed pigeons · Best feeder for band-tailed pigeons

Frequently asked

Are band-tailed pigeons in Colorado year-round?

Yes. Band-tailed Pigeons are year-round residents in Colorado.

When do band-tailed pigeons nest in Colorado?

Nesting in Colorado typically runs April–August, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 1–2 eggs, incubated for 18–20 days.

What native plants attract band-tailed pigeons in Colorado?

Smooth sumac, Virginia creeper, Pin cherry, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Rocky Mountain juniper, Gambel oak, Golden currant are native plants in Colorado that provide food or cover for band-tailed pigeons.

Band-tailed Pigeons in other regions

Arizona California Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Oregon Texas Utah Washington Wyoming

Other backyard birds in Colorado

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Canyon Towhee Gambel's Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Ladder-backed Woodpecker Curve-billed Thrasher Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Greater Roadrunner Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.